Karaikal
District in Puducherry
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Karaikal: 111.3%, highest of 2 districts in Puducherry
MSME Density in Karaikal: 50.7 per 1,000 people, lowest of 2 districts in Puducherry
Women Literacy in Karaikal: 88.8%, lowest of 2 districts in Puducherry
Health Insurance in Karaikal: 53.0%
Karaikal is a district in Puducherry with a population of 2 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 160 sq km. Its literacy rate of 87.1% is above the state average of 85.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,047 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 1,032.
Demographics
What changed in Karaikal, 2019–21 to 2023–24
NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more.
Health & Development
NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional) · “was”: the 2019–21 value, where it moved 5 points or more
State Avg and National are population-weighted averages, not official NFHS figures. “Was” is NFHS-5 as reprinted on the NFHS-6 sheet, which can differ from the NFHS-5 layer. Small districts can swing on sampling noise.
Women & Gender
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
More Indicators
| Indicator | District | State Avg | National Avg | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 10+ Yr Schooling | 73.6% | 73.6% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 15.1% | 15.1% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 97.3% | 97.3% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 969 | 969 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 54.3% | 82.9% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | — | — | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 12.3 | 12.5 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 23 | 18 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Karaikal on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Puducherry
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Karaikal district?
Karaikal has a population of 2 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,248 people per sq km across 160 sq km.
What is the population of Karaikal in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 2 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Karaikal?
Karaikal has a literacy rate of 87.1% (Census 2011), which is above the Puducherry average of 85.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.
How does Karaikal compare to Puducherry?
Karaikal is the 2nd most populous of 2 districts in Puducherry. Its sex ratio of 1,047 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 1,032 (Census 2011).
How many children in Karaikal are stunted or underweight?
In Karaikal, 24.1% of children under 5 are stunted, 16.8% wasted and 23.9% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Puducherry average of 24.1% and an India average of 28.0%.
How many households in Karaikal have health insurance?
53.0% of households in Karaikal have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 26.9% in 2019–21. The Puducherry average is 53.0% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Karaikal between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Karaikal improved most in health insurance (27% to 53%), women 10+ year schooling (59% to 74%), 4+ antenatal visits (88% to 96%), and got worse in women overweight or obese (39% to 52%), male diabetes (23% to 34%), pre-school attendance (64% to 54%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Karaikal?
Data comes from Census 2011, NFHS-5 (2019–21), NFHS-6 (2023–24), NJDG (2024), Udyam/MSME (2026), NCRB SLL (2022), CVI (2021), Ag Census 2015–16, RBI BSR (2026), and other official sources.
Data Sources
Each indicator keeps its own source and vintage. How they are crosswalked onto one district geography is on the methodology page, with the per-source limits on the caveats page.